What equipment value should PCs get when starting above 1st level?

[S'mon]

I notice that all of your PCs, with the exception of the third level Fighter, have picked classes that give them "inborn" magical abilities. It's good to see they've picked up fast on what type of campaign they're playing in, except for the Fighter, but I'm sure he'll wise up if his character dies and come in with another class better fitted for the campaign.

It's also nice to see that the magic user in the group has wisely chosen the path of the Sorcerer, instead of the path of the Wizard, Wizards being largely hamstrung in low magic campaigns thanks to lack of access to scrolls and resources with which to create magic items such as scrolls and wands.

Judging from what I see here, I think your group is smart enough to adapt to whatever type of campaign you want to run, so you should just go with what you think will work best.

The cleric & Fighter are secondary PCs of the Sorcerer player, started at 1st level when Sorc was 5th and have been worked up. The fighter is a bow-specialist but also makes a handy meat shield.

After yesterday's 9 hour game the 3rd level Fighter is F4, cleric is C4, and the monk/rogue/sorc is Mk3/Rog1/Sorc 1. I agree that Sorcs are better suited to my game (and to novice players, which he is) although they have found a minor wizard's spellbook after killing the owner. I agree that the current PC group seems well-suited to my game - I run mostly published scenarios BTW, so it's not excessively 'low magic' - but I don't tend to give much treasure for random/wandering monsters, and few MI are available for sale. I'm vastly more generous than the previous GM so no one complains.

As for giving new PCs coming in at 18th level (which rarely happens, by the way, since 18th level PCs have a wide array of powers and skills to keep them alive, and even if they do die they will likely be ressurected) the full allotment of magic items, it works fine. Characters developed from the ground up, are, in my experience at least, just as powerful as those developed from 18th level.

Just remember to limit the amount of new magical items they get for a while to compensate for the magic items they have from the now deceased PC no longer in the group, and it works great. Best of luck to whatever you decide to go with.

Ok, fair point, although I don't much like the idea of tailoring MI to previous unrelated events (dead PC = new PC with lots of MI = little treasure in next several scenarios). Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Pyske]

One suggestion for limiting the value of PC items: take the difference between the values of the current and previous PC levels. Apply some adjustment factor (i.e. divide by 2), and this becomes the most valuable item the PCs can acquire. All other items have a max value obtained by applying the same formula to the next lower pair of levels.

. . . . . . . -- Eric

PS -- There is still the issue of PCs never having used a disposable item, but this does not bother me b/c I use a house rule which invalidates it (I replace disposable items with other treasure after they are used in play.)